Candy Apple Red
by Verdie
Summary: Jack moves back home, and feeling frustrated finds relife in an unlikly place


Title: Candy Apple Red

Author: RainbowBrite

Pairing: Jack/Doug

Rating: PG-13

Teaser: A weekend in the country

Spoilers: none

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from DC, they are all Kevin Williamson's creations.

Summary: after moving back home, jack is under a lot of pressure from his father. He finds relief in the least likely place. Part of a three part series.

Dedication: this is dedicated to a friend of mine…don't really need to say who…this person won't be reading the fic anyway.

AN: AU for a little section, because it offers an alternative reason for jack moving out of the McPhee House.

Jack walked into the dinning room for breakfast on the morning of his first day back at his house, which didn't exactly feel to him like much of a home, and it seemed as though the only person who acknowledged his existence was his sister, Andie.

He Realized that his father didn't really want him there, that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him was the emotionless way he sat there, reading the paper and drinking his morning coffee. Jack disregarded his dad in the same way he was sure his father did him, and silently proceeded to poor him self a bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice. They way he did this, with such a melancholy attitude, was sure to have filled their sunny breakfast nook with a dark sadness.

At least that is what he thought until he realized that he himself wasn't bringing down anything. This was how life always was before he moved out. Things were never perfect for him, not even close. He had just gotten so used to the family feel of the Lindly household that he had forgotten how empty and dead his own had always seemed.

It took him approximately ten minutes to eat his cereal, without so much of a glance from his father. Be it disapproving or any other, there was none. Not so much as an acknowledging grunt or mumble in between sips of coffee and turns of the page.

Ever since Jack was younger, even before his mother passed, that was the only thing his father was always constant about. Every morning he got up, fixed himself a cup of Foldgers, black of course, because 'real men couldn't take it any other way.'

And then he sat at the breakfast table, unmoving and cold until he finished his morning paper.

Jack didn't recall ever seeing him eat any kind of breakfast food whatsoever.

Just that plain black mug with his plain black coffee with the paper right their in front of him in plain black and white.

His plain black heart, afraid to let any kind of true human emotion in.

Never caring about his children, never asking them what they were doing in school or who their friends were…he never seemed to care.

Jack just shrugged his shoulders and rinsed the milk from his mother's china bowl, hand crafted from Italy and perfect like every thing else in this house. Perfect like his mother-the elegant Italian china was her last impulse buy before her death. Mrs. McPhee always indulged herself in impulse buys. Jack always told himself it was because his father must have loved her so much, and allowed her to do so. But now, as he was older and more cynical, he realized that his mother was just as cold as he and Andie were. She bought superficial possessions to fill up that empty space she cleared away for his fathers love of her, that never came.

Thinking about his mother, tears began to fill his eyes, Choking them back he carefully laid the bowl in the sink and walked out of the room, disregarding once again the fact that his own father didn't care about him. At this point he was used to it. And as far as he was concerned, it was all for the better.

So he gathered up his things and walked to school…not thinking twice about the great Mr. McPhee because he knew, even if he did, there was no way he would be thought of in return.

Ignoring this fact, he dwelled on these emotions all the way to school. Despite his efforts to keep thoughts of his father to a minimum, he thought about it. With every second he grew more and more angry. Not just because of his dad, that wasn't all of it, or even most. He was angry for a list of reasons.

Sure, he was angry with his father for not accepting him for who he was.

But he was infuriated with himself for wishing that he could change in order to be the son that he would be able to appreciate.

All of these things just sat there inside of, stirring and brewing like a powerful and intoxicating wine, the seconds like years, the feelings getting stronger, more potent. 

By the time Jack arrived at the door of capeside high he was drunk with the rage built up inside of him.

So drunk, that he could not bare to set foot inside of a school building. 

So he went for a walk instead.

He walked to all of the places in town that he had never really paid attention to in the past.

He looked at the birds and the trees and the sky, just cleared the thoughts out of his head.

For a while he just sat there on the dock, looking into the water, watching it ripple, comparing it to his own life as much as he could. The ripples would build up tension and then break, dying down again, only to repeat the cycle less than a second later.

So much like his relationship with his father.

No matter how bad things got, Jack always found himself repeating the cycle.

A glutton for punishment to the core.

He sat there on the dock in silence for well over fifteen minutes before a tall shadow gave away the fact that someone was standing behind him.

Shielding the sun from his eyes as best as he could, Jack turned to see who had interrupted his deep moment of self contemplation.

"well, well, well…" Jack was shocked to see Capeside's own deputy Douglas Witter standing before him, uniformed, armed, and ready to stop the "troublemakers" of their little town.

"I gotta say, McPhee, out of all the kids from Capeside high…I wouldn't expect you to be the one I busted for truancy…" Doug made a sort of 'tsk tsk' sound and shook his head, before sitting down on the docks beside Jack.

"Right…because I am just this clean cut, smooth talking pretty boy who never does anything wrong…" the sarcastic tone of his voice was easy to catch, but rather than take offense, deputy Doug simply rolled his eyes.

"no…because it would be a shame to see this town's star quarterback get kicked off of the team a week before the Riversdale game." Equally sarcastic and twice as snappy, Doug began to toss pebbles into the creek, no longer looking at Jack, who was still sitting next to him.

"I see your point…" He thought for a moment before further retaliation.

"BUT…which would you prefer…me getting kicked out of class for going off at the teachers, or skipping school altogether in order to avoid any such confrontation?"

"what exactly do you mean going off at the teachers?" He asked, turning to suspiciously eye the boy sitting in front of him.

"I mean, that was the road I was headed for had I not skipped today…" One look at the expression on Doug's face and jack knew he was not convinced. Sighing heavily, he continued his explanation.

"Look I just moved back home to a father who really doesn't give a flying fuck about me…I don't really know why but this morning I was particularly pissed off at him…I just kept thinking about all of the things he's said or done to make me feel not quite good enough for him…by the time I got to school I was a little too heated to go inside." Jack was now letting his anger spill over. For the first time in years he was opening up about the way he felt towards his father…the only problem was, he got the feeling he was doing it to the wrong person.

Why would Deputy Witter care how he felt towards his father? And more importantly, given the off chance that he did care, would that really affect his decision on weather or not to turn him in to the truancy board?

"Hey, I get that you're mad at your dad, okay…In fact, I've been there…so…I guess I'll let you off with a warning this time."

Jack felt a sigh of relief escape him.

"but don't let me catch you skipping school again McPhee, you hear me?" he attempted to take an authoritative tone, but it was completely lost on him…all Jack was feeling right now was relief.

Relief and an odd sense of comfort that he had really been able to confide in someone for the first time in years.

"Thanks Deputy Witter, that's…that's…really thoughtful of you."

"Doug, It's Doug…call me Doug" He said rather choppy, as though he were growing nervous, although he had no idea why. Why would he be nervous around someone his brothers age? So young and inexperienced of life. Someone who he regarded as just a kid. Plain. Simple. No more, no less.

"well, in that case, thank you Doug…you are a fine human being." he played the words over in his head. You are a fine human being? No offense McPhee…but what are you smoking?

Jack felt his face grow hot and flustered. He just hoped above all that Doug didn't notice.

"Are you okay?" apparently, there would be no such luck. 

"You look a little…" Doug trailed off, not quite sure how to word the fact that Jack looked red, flushed and a little nerve ridden. He thought that maybe he was still angry, so he decided that it might be a good idea to back away from him a little.

"I'm fine" Jack answered a little too quickly. He began to fidget with his finger fumbling through his belt loops, trying to concentrate on anything but what his mind wanted him to concentrate on at the time being.

He stumbled as he got up, and Doug thought for a moment that he might fall into the creek.

Rushing up to help the boy, Doug grabbed his shoulders to assure that this didn't happen.

As Jack felt the firm grip of Doug's hands on his own broad shoulder's his knees buckled from underneath him, for reasons that his own mind could not begin to contemplate.

"here's an idea-why don't we sit." Doug said guiding him smoothly back to the ground, he sat beside him once more.

"Sitting is good." Jack felt horrible, the lowest post on the totem pole. The bottom rung on the ladder of life. The dirt on which every one was free too walk. What was wrong with him today? Whatever it was-he could not figure for the life of him, and it was driving him insane.

"so why don't you tell me more about your dad and why you didn't go to school today…"

"What do you mean? I already told you everything." Jack grew defensive, afraid to let anyone inside the walls he had built for himself, authority figure or not.

"why do I feel compelled to not believe you?" Doug said in a rather condescending manner, taking a moment to look Jack up and down.

For a sixteen year old boy jack was rather tall, with well chiseled muscles shaping his entire body. His eyes were a dark, intense brown and seemed far older than the body inhabited by them. They truly did reveal his soul. And it seamed to him that jack had an overwhelming amount of soul.

That much was obvious, the hard part for Doug was going to be the task of getting Jack to open up about this soul. Get him to reveal it to the general public, because then maybe he would know some kind of peace and not be so frustrated anymore.

"believe what you want, you don't even know me so…you know, it's up to you." yeah, Doug thought to himself, this was going to be harder than he had suspected.

Jack didn't even look at Doug as he talked, he simply looked away, looked out into the water once again.

"Look, what I'm saying is…we have more in common than you would think."

"yeah? Like what, exactly?" once again that sarcastic tone returned to Jack's voice.

"You would be shocked…"

"yeah?" he smirked, trying to think of anything about the clean cut deputy of Capeside coming off as shocking to him.

"yeah." He smiled back, filling jack with an odd sense of comfort.

"try me." Jack said, this time his tone was softer as he allowed himself to inch his way closer to Doug, their arms rubbed against one another and jack had to look away, afraid to admit that they might actually share mutual ground, as Doug had suggested.

"well…this may surprise you, but I too have father issues."

Jack sighed, dropped his head and rolled his eyes slightly.

"why does that not surprise me?"

"Could it be because my little brother is constantly bitching about sheriff Witter on a 24/7 basis?"

"it could…or it could be the fact that any and every time someone tries to relate with me in any way they bring up the father issue…and quite frankly Doug…I'm tired of it…so could you please just-"

As Jack's anger began to peak, Doug decided that it was a good idea to intervene.

"Wait just a minute- this isn't just something that I invented so I could relate to you…okay, I really am trying to make you feel better here…just show you that we have a lot in common and that…" he trailed off.

"that what?"

"that I really admire your courage, okay?"

"you what…." jack was confused…

"My _courage_…what exactly is that supposed to mean?" He pushed himself into a standing position and attempted to walk away, however Doug blocked him, forcing him to listen to what he had to say.

"I'm not sure exactly.." 

"well look, I'm sorry to burst your bubble here…but I don't want sympathy, not from you and not from anybody else…got it? I can take care of things on my own…"

"you might not believe it now…but that's not always the best way to handle a situation like yours…"

"Oh really? And just how would you know?"

"because I've been there!" Doug stopped abruptly, as he found himself yelling, and the last thing he wanted to do was yell about something like this this in the middle of town.

Jack was frozen in silence just as quickly as Doug was paralyzed in fear. Fear of uttering those words. What he had never been able to say to anyone in his adult life, he was now saying to this sixteen year old boy. This kid. A friend of his brother's of all people.

" I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean." Jack began slowly, his voice only slightly above a whisper.

"what do you mean you don't understand? I mean exactly what I said…I have been in your situation before…and I think that you are incredibly brave."

"you mean with my dad? I'm not brave with my dad…I barely even attempt to talk to him and the same goes for him to me."

"I don't mean with your dad…I mean you are brave about who you are…you're so open about it, and I admire you for that…tremendously."

Jack felt a knot build up in his throat, he suspected it was caused by fear and nervousness, he swallowed hard, hoping to push away the nervousness by doing so. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful, and had to stumble to get out the next few words.

"A-are you saying…what I think you are…"

It didn't take him long to realize that Doug was just as nervous as he was, and had probably talked to no one about this, ever, and Jack took an enormous amount of pride in knowing that he was the first one Doug had come to about his sexuality. Especially considering that the two men had never really talked an incredible lot outside of their current conversation.

"If you are thinking what I think you are…then yes…" he breathed a deep sigh, more of relief than anything else.

"oh wow…" after about three minutes of silence Doug murmured these two words, directly afterwards, he began hyperventilating.

"You are the first person I have ever even thought about telling this to…I…god, I don't even know why I told you…you were just…here…and…" His words were frantic and choppy, it seemed as though he could hardly breath.

"Doug…Doug calm down, okay…it's not that big of a deal…it will be okay." He said, not quite sure how to be comforting about something like this…he had never been the one anyone confided in about anything before. And he didn't even know Doug…it was as if an enormous bomb had been dropped on him that he was not prepared for, and had no method of reconstruction.

"This is a big deal, okay…this is a very big deal…" he was shouting a again, but altered his tone before continuing.

"I'm gay." he was now whispering, and standing so close to Jack. Close enough to where he could be sure that what was being said could not be heard by anyone other than the two of them.

"I'm gay and my dad is the single most homophobic man on this planet."

"Doug, I'm pretty sure that every homosexual male on this planet has a perception of their father as a homophobe…but that's not always the case…and you know, you will never be completely sure until you tell him…then you will know how he really feels."

"I don't think I can tell him." He was confused and frightened and it showed through in his tone and exasperation.

"You told me, didn't you?"

"well…yeah, I did, but that is completely different…"

"how is it different? I am only a person Doug, only human…and so is your dad…I was the first step…everyone else…" he paused for a minute, pointing to all of the people walking around the docks of capeside, going about their days' business.

"they are the second step." He moved in closer, looking him straight in the eyes, a look that had the power to send shivers up Doug's spine.

"What if I'm not ready to take the second step?"

"You might not be ready yet, but you will be. Trust me, you'll get there eventually."

"How does it feel when you are ready…how can you tell?"

"well, you just get this really antsy feeling in your stomach…like butterflies, but so much more powerful…and you just want to get it off of your chest…you don't care anymore and you can't hide the feelings from yourself or anyone else. You get to the point where you just don't care what everyone else thinks of you."

"you sure got there fast…what were you? Fifteen?"

"yeah…but I was no where near ready to come out whenever I did. I wasn't prepared for the reactions of anyone…my peers…my parents…the community, I was horrified. Trust me…you should wait until you are sure you want to handle that kind of treatment."

"Yeah…I don't think that I am there yet."

"wait a second." Jack's new tone surprised Doug so much that he jumped back.

"what?"

"You said that you didn't have a good relationship with your dad, but the way Pacey talks, in his eyes you are the embodiment of the flawless son or something."

"yeah…now you see why I am so afraid of telling him…if he finds out that I am gay, his whole perception of me will be shattered."

"Oh…I see." jack thought for a minute before he continued, not wanting to say anything that might offend Doug in anyway.

"Well…then I would encourage you to wait…wait until you are prepared to handle what he has to say, because otherwise it might destroy and intimidate you in the same way that it did me, and trust me, I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"yeah but you were only fifteen."

"exactly…I wasn't ready, wait until you are ready…promise me that."

"I promise."

"good." Jack smiled at Doug and walked away.

"Where are you going?"

"going to grab some lunch…you're welcome to come if you want."

"I'd like that." he smiled back and followed close behind jack.

"So where are we going?"

"The icehouse…where else would I go…Its capeside…there's like nowhere else."

"Oh well…I was just thinking…why would you eat lunch where you could easily get caught on the day you decide to cut school?" Doug said in a rather adult tone that made Jack think.

"so…where would you have in mind?"

"Somewhere slightly out of town…small, quite…in a quaint sort of way."

"sounds great? You driving?"

"sure."

"lets go then…"

On the drive out of town they stayed pretty quiet, the only noises made that weren't from the sound of les Miserables coming from the radio of Doug's police car, were from the shifting of squirming bodies on the slightly less-than-leather interior.

After about ten minutes of driving Jack began to wonder where exactly it was that Doug was taking him. From the looks of the view outside of the window, the town they were currently driving through was smaller than Capeside…until now, Jack had never thought such a place existed.

Finally, jack broke the silence that surrounded them. "So where are we going anyway?"

"you'll see when we get there." Doug said, his face growing smug as he reached across the dashboard to turn up the music.

"you know Pacey was right about you…" Jack now had to yell above the music, it was so loud.

"You can be really annoying."

Doug just shrugged his shoulders and chuckled as he turned the small police car roughly into a rundown 50s style dinner.

"we're here." as he shut of the engine, got out of the car and slammed the door, all jack did was stay seated, looking around in awe at his surroundings.

"_this_ is where you brought me?" jack looked around in awe of the rural and run down appearance of the dinner

Doug just rolled his eyes, saying nothing…until quite a few moments passed and Jack didn't seem as though he ever planned on getting up. His seatbelt was still buckled and his hands were clasped firmly in his lap.

Doug sighed, "Just get out of the car, McPhee."

Jack rolled his eyes and unwillingly unbuckled his seatbelt.

"fine…" his tone was one that a whining toddler might use when not wanting to obey an angry parent.

Reluctantly, Jack followed Doug into the restaurant and sat down at a corner both with pink cushioned seats and a powder blue tabletop.

Jack couldn't help but stare as he noticed that the entire wait staff was dressed in 50s get ups.

"well…I must say, this is…interesting." Jack's tone was sarcastic yet again as he cringed his way through the dinner.

"Hey this is my favorite restaurant ok…do I tell the kids of capeside that the ice house is a bad hangout?"

"well…no…but look at this place…it is like regurgitated episodes of happy days in here…" Jack laughed as he spoke, but Doug just let the mocking roll off of him, and smiled at the roller skating waitress as she brought them menus shaped like juke boxes.

"Thanks." He handed jack a menu from across the table.

"You know if you give this place a chance you might actually like it…I have been coming here for years."

"boy am I glad that I'm not you…" He said sarcastically, flipping through the menu with a blank, uninterested expression.

That was the last either of them said until the roller-skating waitress came and took their drink orders. As she skated away jack began to giggle…Doug couldn't help but notice the subtle way Jacks nose crinkled whenever he smiled…he shook the thoughts away and just pretended to be annoyed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing…just thinking about that waitress and how much she must hate her job."

"why do you say they?"

"oh come on! The has to roller skate around this dump pretending to smile while guys like you come in _pretending _to be heterosexual…as she takes your orders and tries not to spill the food. She is obviously miserable."

"wait go back to that last part." Doug no longer had to pretend to be annoyed…this was for real.

"What?" he said innocently, "She probably spills food all of the time…" Jack stifled laughter playfully, as he knew perfectly well that was not what Doug meant.

"Not that…when you said…" he made a gesture, as though he thought doing so would magically jog jack's memory."

"Oh you mean where I said that all of these men are _gay_?" Jack said a little loudly for Doug's liking. He motioned for him to keep it down as Jack began to explain his reasoning.

"Come on Doug look around…there is not a female one here…with the exception of Suzie Skatress or what have you…and listen…what song are they playing right now?"

Doug mumble, "the shoop shoop song" under is breath and immediately Jack began to speak again.

"Exactly! This is a double F Restaurant…case closed…class dismissed…you brought me to a gay dinner…" Jack Dead panned in that smooth yet subtle comedic way he always seemed to have of saying things.

Doug looked confused. "double F?"

"Fag-Friendly?" he whispered his explanation, glancing over his shoulder to assure that no one heard who might take offense to the comment.

"Okay, Okay…supposing this were a…*gay dine in*… I swear that I had no idea…and they do have good food so just give it a chance ok?"

"whatever…" He flipped through the menu once again, this time actually paying attention to the items…it wasn't but maybe three minutes before jack began to laugh again.

"What now?" He was beginning to grow more and more agitated with every thing that jack said…in a disturbing way, his behavior reminded Doug of that of his brothers.

"God…It's just how could you _not_ have known…I mean look at the menu items…" he proceeded to read a random selection out loud.

"The Monroe burger: some like it hot with our subtle yet spicy chipotle sauce, served with a side of blonder-than-Marilyn French fries…its just how could you _not _have known?" He exploded into laughter once more, but quickly silenced as the waitress rolled up to take their orders.

Jack Managed to keep silent until the girl scooted away again, but as soon as she was out of hearing range, the laughter began again.

"Okay, okay…off of me…back to you…I invited you here so that you could confide in me the way I confided in you…so its your turn."

"why do I need to do that? Everyone knows that I'm gay…as for you…well…I don't see how they don't but they don't so…" He trailed off as though to say 'what more is there for me to say, really?'

"I'm not talking about your stats: closeted or un…I am _talking _about your father…there are obviously issues that you need to get off of your chest…and I am giving you the opportunity to do so…"

Jack rolled his eyes again. 

"Haven't we already _had _this conversation?" He said adopting that irritable tone once again.

"No this conversation got cut short by a certain unmentionable epiphany that I found myself somehow walking into…"

"Hey…that's not my problem okay? You wanna have an epiphany…by all means go ahead…but leave my dark painful father issues out of it. Unlike you…I never asked for a so called 'epiphany'" He talked fast and quietly, leaning into the table in order to keep this conversation private.

"do you admit it." he said plainly, and a little smug.

"what?" This moment of confusion led Doug to realize that the same crinkled-up-nose expression came onto Jacks face as it did when he was happy.

"That you have father issues."

"yeah…okay? I have father issues…who doesn't? but that doesn't mean that I want to sit here conversing with you over said father issues…I would just like to keep them repressed and off of my mind…if that's alright with you."

"Yeah…because they sure were off of your mind this morning." The two men conversed back and forth each retaliation a little snappier than the last. Listening to the conversation, one might say it was slightly comparable to a tennis match. A power struggle. Each one trying to throw the other slightly off of his game.

"ever think I just made that shit about him up to get you off of my case?"

"why do I not think you would do that?"

"I don't know…maybe for the same reason that I think you have no right to _think _you know me at all." Jack looked away-dead serious and ice cold. Doug just looked down into his Tea glass, he defiantly missed the serve. Point one for Jack, Doug-zero.

"Look…" Jack started, his tone softened and more understanding than before, "I never asked for you to come up to me this morning laying all of this…" he searched for words that he was sure wouldn't offend the man sitting in front of him. "self discovery, melodramatic epiphany crap on me…and I'm sorry if I'm just a little less than anxious to do the same."

Doug let his words sink in, and it was a good five minutes before he replied.

"I just thought…you could use someone to talk to…or…maybe we both could." his tone was depleted, weak, not like it had been before…not at all…

For a brief moment Jack felt as though his heart had hit the floor. He thought maybe Doug had a point, maybe it was unhealthy to keep these feelings of his father locked away inside of him…boiling and crackling to the point of explosion. More importantly he realized that reasonably, it would do some good to have someone to confide in about all of these different issues.

"But I was obviously wrong…and I was wrong for bringing you here…so…I'm sorry." He got up to leave, but to his surprise, Jack grabbed his arm in order to stop him.

"Wait." Feeling his touch, Doug sat back down, more startled than anything else.

"Maybe you're right…Maybe I do need someone to vent my post teen traumatic father issues out on…and maybe its even better if that someone just so happens to share the same sexual orientation as me."

"So you're saying…"

"I'm saying I'll let you play doctor Freud in my Capeside high teen soap opera drama…now hurry up and get on with the shrinkage before I change my mind."

"I'm not quite sure I understand what you want me to do…"

"I want you to do what you wanted…ask me questions…size me up, shrink me down and whatever else so-called "psychiatrists" do…"

"Okay…" Just as Doug was about to ask his first question, the waitress skated up to them, their orders ready. Both men fell silent again until she left them alone once more.

She skated away and Doug asked his first question. 

"Where did all of these father issues originate…because by the looks of things the wonds go deeper than 'I'm gay so my dad disowned me' how did everything start…what triggered it?"

"cars…" Jack mumbled the word softly, almost incoherent.

"come again?"

"Cars and boats…" Jacks volume increased with the anger that the subject of his father always seamed to bring up.

"The two things Daddy Dearest always seemed to love so much more than he could any member of his family…" He paused, seeming to gulp back tears.

"One car in particular. The one he loved more than anything else…the 1957 Porsche roadster…a two-seater…very impractical for a thirty something man with two kids…" jack paused again…remembering.

"It was…uh…smooth and shiny…at least that's what I remember thinking the first time he brought it home.

"fully loaded, four wheel drive and turbo-charged, with leather interior…and candy apple red…I don't…um…I never knew what any of those things meant, but he always said that kind of stuff when he described his 'baby' to friends…he always said that the best part was that it was a 'man's car' full of power…I remember that as a boy…I never could understand how something that matched my mother's toenails to a T could ever be considered a 'man's car'…" he laughed, making jokes as an attempt to cover up the tears.

"So you don't like your dad because he was a car person?" Doug sounded confused…he didn't get it.

"well…my story isn't finished yet…It was my tenth birthday…and Mom…she always made a big deal about birthdays…the parties were great…extravagant…with piñatas and petting zoos…the works…so you can imagine how shocked me and Andie were when daddy drove up in his shiny new car…hair dyed jet black to mask the gray…no clue that it was our birthday, or that we even existed…the bastard couldn't remember our ages or birthdays but he remembered to drop 90,000 bucks for that god damn Porsche roadster…"

"I get it…I get it now…well…I guess that is enough to traumatize any one." Doug nodded his head in agreement with himself.

"not finished yet…this year…when I turned sixteen…six years later…wouldn't you know it…dad still has the car…barely three thousand miles on it and he still tucks it in properly every might before he goes to bed…well…the big day comes, dad tosses me the key and says…'here you go Jackers…its fully loaded, four wheel drive and turbo charged…with leather interior and candy-apple red…full of power…it's a man's car…maybe having this'll teach you to drop this "I'm gay" bullshit and be a real man…so…I through the keys back in his face…packed my things and left." Jack finished and practically collapsed, head on the table, resting on his arms, he began to cry openly.

Doug was speechless. He was expecting something shocking…but nothing as horrible and appalling as that.

"I'm sorry…"

"Would you save it…because you know it's not going to change anything…"

"Well…I am here…If you want to talk…that's why I asked in the first place…If you need a friend…" _or more_…his head wanted him to say…but his heart told him it was inappropriate.

So he just sat there with jack as he sobbed…sat there with him in the middle of this tacky 50s themed dinner, holding his hand.

-The End


End file.
